Spring Break Traveling Craziness

I don't know if it was my relief that winter is over or a momentary surge of bravery (insanity?), but for some reason, I got all crazy and planned a long and ambitious trip for Spring Break.  And most of it was just me and the kids, making things even crazier.  I am a creature of routine and comfort, and I don't particularly like traveling with my kids even when I have Ryan with me, but we had a lot of family that we wanted to see, so I just decided to make it happen.

First we headed to Utah and saw Noah's birthparents.  Katie is currently in the play The Little Mermaid, and we knew we wanted to see that!  She was the most beautiful "mersister" up on that stage, and Noah enjoyed the show.  His favorite part was Prince Eric's ship.  And flirting with the mermaids after the show.

We also got to go to the park and dinner with Drew, whom we love, and we stayed the night at Katie's Grandma's (so Noah's biological great grandma), and he got to spend some special one-on-one time with her, doing puzzles and building a ship out of tinker toys.

 

From there we drove to the SLC airport and flew to Denver.  I hadn't been planning to go to Colorado, but my older sister has been struggling with severe depression this past year, and when she told me she hasn't been able to make dinners, keep her house picked up, or get out of bed in the morning, I decided we would make the trip to keep her company for a week.

I love my sister.  She is such a huge support to me, even when she herself is struggling. Despite the depression she's been feeling, she was still so much fun to be with for a few days.  We watched tons of Modern Family while eating chocolate chip cookies and Cadbury mini-eggs, of course; we put together and hosted a 4th birthday party for my niece Jade; we made several dinners and freezer meals to help keep the family fed for the next little while; we refereed our kids fighting (they are best frenemies) and sent them to their rooms for quiet time when we'd had enough; and we went shopping and out for dessert one night.  Honestly, I think the trip was just as therapeutic for me as it was for Sarah, and the kids certainly loved being together!

 

 

Oh and in typical Colorado fashion, it was 70 degrees the first two days I was in town and we spent all day playing at the park--and then we got 19 inches of snow in 12 hours.   Ha!  Colorado weather is completely nuts.  The kids had fun making a snowman with Bapa!

 

I also got to see my grandparents, whom I completely and totally adore.  My grandpa has been getting so frail in recent years, and he was in the hospital for almost a week this month with the flu!  I have been so fearful that I wouldn't get to see him again in this life, so it was such a blessing to spend time with him.  He drove me and the kids to the airport, and when we said our goodbyes, he hugged me close and said, "You have been the light of my life."  It meant the world to me to get that hug and to hear those words that will stay with me for a lifetime.  I hope I have many more years with my grandpa, but I also don't want him to suffer so we are all putting it in God's hands.  My grandparents are as good as they come, and it is a treasure to see them with my children.

We flew back to Utah, and then drove straight to Pocatello for Easter weekend with Ryan's family.  Phew!  What a whirlwind!  But it was worth it.  So fun to be with the Nielson family.  (And Ryan met up with us there so I was no longer parenting solo!) We dyed eggs, drove remote control boats in the reservoir, played with cousins, had an egg hunt, snuggled with our favorite Uncle Tanner who was home from college, and of course went to church and had an amazing Easter feast made by Grandma.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Sally and her cousins made quite a splash in their Easter dresses.  I couldn't get over Sally's Easter hat, and I think she and Lucy look like little ladies headed to Grandma's for tea.

  

Another highlight of the weekend was getting to meet my newest niece, Gracie.  She was born to Cole and Sara two months ago, and she is a bundle of sweetness.  I almost ate her for Easter dinner, but I refrained.  Instead, I let her sleep on me for an hour.  Heaven!  My Sally is obsessed with babies and she was delighted by Gracie, and Noah was so cute with how he "baby talked" to her and wanted to hold her all by himself.

 

 

 

 

All in all, I am so glad that I took the plunge and made this long trip with my kiddos! Is there anything in this world as fun and comforting as family?? As completely chaotic as it can sometimes be, the relationships are priceless. I love these people with all of my heart!

Ridiculous Birthday Month

My month of May was completely excessive.  I didn't mean for it to be--that's just the way it turned out.  My friends kept inviting me on once-in-a-lifetime girls' trips, and how could I say no??

It started with a trip to Orlando with some of my best girlfriends from our years in Buffalo.  Tiffany schemed up the idea to go to Harry Potter World, and there was no way I could pass that one up.  If you read my last post about my mom, you know that I am a die-hard Harry Potter fan.  I had a Harry Potter party for my 19th birthday, shortly before my mom passed away, and my whole family dressed up in character.

I know it sounds crazy, but Harry Potter was my "escape" during those very difficult months when my mom was so sick.  I think I read the second, third, and fourth books that year, and it was just a mindless, magical escape.  The following year, I was reading the newly released fifth book while walking across my college campus, and I walked into an open manhole because I was so engrossed. Yes, this happened.  Fortunately, the manhole wasn't very deep, and my backpack caught on the edge of it and held me up, so after a helpful person walking by assisted me in untangling myself, I walked away with scraped shins and no permanent damage.  (Only Rachel Nielson, right?  That needs to be its own hashtag.)

Anyway, I found a great deal on airline tickets to Orlando, and we made a weekend of it. We were just a little bit excited. ;)

Harry Potter World did not disappoint.  It was so elaborate--every detail perfectly rendered.  I felt like I was actually stepping into Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, and yes, Tiffany and I even busted out our cool kids Gryffindor robes and drank too much butterbeer while we were there.  I love my friends.

On Sunday, Natalie and I went to church, walked around the Orlando temple grounds, and then went and sat on the beach.  Yep, I'd say that's a perfect Sunday right there.

The next weekend was the annual Power of Moms Board Meeting and Retreat in Park City, Utah.  As always, I learned so much and came back with tons of ideas for being a more deliberate, present mother.  I love this organization, and I'm honored to work with them.  I recently wrote an article for them about isolating the perfect moments in motherhood in the midst of the crazy/hard moments.  Here it is if you are interested:  Anchored by Beautiful Moments.

Power of Moms Board Members

A couple weekends later, my girlfriends from our residency years in Denver invited me to go hiking with them in the mountains of Colorado, since their husbands are finishing school and they are all moving to different places around the country.  Again, couldn't pass up that opportunity, so I drove on over and enjoyed a couple of days of leisure in the mountains--so beautiful.  And so fun to be with kindred spirits with whom I can talk for hours!

Before I headed back to Idaho, I spent one evening at my Dad's house and got to see him and my grandparents and my older sister.  Sarah and I went to breakfast and shopping the next day, and I loved it.  Nothing fills me up more than spending time with my sisters.

And oh no, the fun is not over yet.  My little sister Laura decided to come visit me for Memorial Day Weekend!  Ryan was at a Conference in Seattle, so it was awesome to have Laura's company and help with the kids--as well as someone to snuggle with in my bed.  I love me a good SSO (Sister SleepOver).  We hiked a little, shopped a little, ate a lot, and laughed a lot.  We also took the kids to the hot springs one day, and Laura and Sal were twinning in their polka dots.

Ridiculously, my actual birthday hadn't arrived quite yet, so the day before, Ryan took me and Noah to pick out new bikes.  (Noah learned how to ride a two-wheeler a few months ago, so we wanted to be able to take family bike rides this summer.)  We then met up with his family in the Snake River Canyon and went canoeing and later had a BBQ at our house.  Funnest!

On the day of my birthday, we didn't do much.  Ryan felt bad about it and apologized for not making my birthday more special.  Ummm, are you kidding me??  I am the most spoiled rotten girl in this world.  Granted, most of the fun in May was not technically for my birthday month, but I wasn't about to stomp my foot and demand more!!  It was a perfect month from start to finish.  I am so grateful that I have such wonderful friends who invite me to do fun things with them, and I am so grateful that I have such a wonderful husband who encourages me to go and adventure and connect with other women and who is 100% capable of taking care of the kids while I am away.  I love him, and I love how sweet he is with our kids.

Ryan snapped a few photos of me and the kiddos as we rushed off to church on my 31st birthday.  When I look at these pictures, I can see the happiness in my face, and I don't think it's just because I'd had an exessively fun and relaxing month.  I have had an amazing 31 years, and my favorite part of it all is the incredible people in it--my friends, my dad, my grandparents, my sisters, my in-laws, my husband, my kids--I can't believe that I got to spend time with all of them during the month of May.  Happy birthday to me!!

Sary

Today is my older sister's birthday.  I love her.  She has always been my role model.  When we were kids, whatever she did, I wanted to do.  Today, I am going to focus on just one way that following her example has blessed my life (though I could write an entire book about it).

When Sarah was in fourth grade, she volunteered to work with the students with disabilities during recess and when they needed extra help in the classroom.  In this role, she got to know a fellow fourth-grader named Brandee who had Spina bifida.  The two became fast friends.

Though Brandee was in a wheelchair, Sarah was adament that she get to do everything that the other fourth graders did.  Sarah would push Brandee around the playground at recess so she could participate in girl talk or play four square with the other kids.  When Sarah's best friends planned a dance for the elementary school talent show, Sarah invited Brandee to join them and choreographed some moves that Brandee could do from her chair.

That summer, Brandee asked Sarah if she would attend a week of summer camp with her, and Sarah excitedly agreed.  She spent a week at Easter Seals Rocky Mountain Village helping Brandee with fishing, horseback riding, and zipline, and she loved every minute of it.  A photographer from the Denver Post captured a candid interaction between Brandee and Sarah at camp, and I think their faces say it all:

When Sarah got home, she asked my mom if she could go back to RMV as a volunteer the following summer, and my mom agreed.  In the meantime, Sarah had an idea.  Could she invite Brandee to sleep over at our house?  Mom was hesitant because of Brandee's level of care, but Sarah assured her that she knew what to do to care for Brandee--she had watched her camp counselor take care of her for a week, and it was nothing that Sarah couldn't handle.

So my mom talked to Brandee's mom, and it was decided: Brandee would get to have her first sleepover at a friend's house.  With a little training from Brandee's mom and a little help from our mom, Sarah was able to help Brandee with anything she needed while she stayed overnight at our home.

At the time, I didn't realize how remarkable it was that my eleven year old sister was helping her friend use the toilet and transfer out of her wheelchair into bed.  It seemed totally normal to me because Sarah never acted like it was a big deal.  She never treated Brandee any differently than she did her other friends.  It didn't bother Sarah that Brandee needed help with a catheter in order to go to the bathroom or that she was more child-like than the rest of Sarah's peers.  Sarah just loved Brandee and made her feel so included and important.

In the next ten years, Sarah returned to the Rocky Mountain Village Camp year after year--first as a volunteer then as a full-time counselor.  Sarah was fiercely devoted to her campers.  No matter the intensity of their medical and physical needs, she was undaunted in her efforts to make sure that they had a perfect week.  I know she blessed many children and their families in her years at camp.

Because of Sarah's example, I volunteered and worked at camp too, as did my little sister.  Because of Sarah's example, I got involved at the Hogar in El Salvador.  Sarah's passion became my passion. Working with persons with disabilities has became one of my greatest sources of joy in life, and I never would've discovered this passion if it weren't for my older sister's example.  I am so grateful that, from such a young age, she's always had such a huge heart and such a determination to make the lives around her better and happier.

Happy birthday to a woman who has made the world a much better place in her 31 years of life.  I love you and look up to you!

Laura

Today is my little sister Laura's birthday, and you know what that means...BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE! A word about the birthday tributes: A few months ago, I was thinking about my life and feeling so grateful. I kept thinking about how blessed I am to have such incredible family and friends--they are what make my life so rich and so special. I had the idea that I could write a personal history, not about me specifically, but rather about the people who have made me who I am. The idea came to me that, during 2013, I could write a birthday tribute on my blog for each of the people whom I love, and then I could bind them all in a book at the end of the year as a "personal history" to pass on to my children.

When I sat down and made a list of people whom I wanted to write about, I realized that I could not possibly write a tribute to all of the people whom I love.  I love a lot of people.  So I decided that, for now, I would limit this endeavor to family members (which is still a lot of people!).  I know these posts might not be interesting to everyone, but I hope they are meaningful to the people I am writing about--and I hope they will be meaningful to my children.  Most of all, writing these posts has been meaningful for me, as it has given me a chance to reflect on my life and put down in words how much I love these remarkable family members of mine.  I am truly so blessed.

As I flipped through my mom's photo albums to gather pictures for all of these posts, I kept coming across photos of me and my sisters that made me smile.  That became the inspiration for today's birthday tribute to my little Laura (who is not so little anymore--how can she possibly be 26 years old??).

This photo was taken on the day that Laura was born (or maybe a few days later when she came home from the hospital).  Don't I look a little bit thrilled to have a baby sister? 

I still feel that way when I think about my little sister.  She makes me happy--always has.  Last year, I wrote a sentimental post on her birthday about how she has always made me feel loved and needed. (She really has a talent for making people feel that way.) This year, I thought I would keep things a bit lighter and focus on another aspect of our relationship: how much fun we have together.

Laura has always been my favorite playmate, and as kids we spent hours playing dress up and coming up with fantasies and games together.  I have no memories of us ever fighting.  I'm sure it happened on occasion, but we were genuinely great friends and always got along very well.  Our bedrooms were connected by a "jack-and-jill" bathroom, and after Mom would put us to bed, we would sneak into each other's rooms to giggle or we would communicate in our "secret language" by whistling at each other through the darkness.  Childhood with Laura was fun.

Dressed up in Dad's pjs and Mom's bathrobe and turban from her cancer treatments

I made Laura a castle from a refrigerator box for her birthday

Our silliness and imaginative play continued into the teen years. I have memories of driving her home from school when I was a senior in high school and she was a freshman, and we would find a radio station playing classical orchestra and dramatically conduct the music, flailing our arms around and singing opera.  We would also honk at people who were walking their dogs and wave enthusiastically with huge grins on our faces so they would think that they knew us and wave back.  (For some reason, we thought this was just hilarious.)  I remember  whacking each other with our shopping bags when we went to the mall together, laughing like little kids though we were both teenagers.

Now that we are both sophisticated young women, we have totally outgrown our silliness.  We never act immature together.  Ever .;)

I love my little sis and am so grateful for the joy and fun she has brought to my life.  I hope we spend many more decades being immature and laughing together.  

Love you, Laury!  Happy birthday!!